Robert Guell has been involved in Indiana State University 's efforts to improve first-year student success since 1998. Named Program Manager of the Lilly Project to Improve the First Year in College in 2001 and Coordinator of First Year Programs in 2002, Dr. Guell has taught Basic Economics to thousands of new college students and University 101 to many hundred first year students. As Coordinator of First Year Programs he facilitated the university's registration program, orientation program, and Learning Communities program working collaboratively with Student Affairs, the six College Deans and with the Student Academic Services Center.

In 2005, ISUs Provost asked Dr. Guell to create and co-chair the Task Force on the First Year and to be the Liaison to ISU's Foundations of Excellence^® project. In this role he was the convener of nearly 150 separate meetings of committees and subcommittees and editor of ISU's final report. He is currently working with the Faculty Senate and various other constituencies to implement the 23 recommendations of that Task Force on the First Year. The most sweeping recommendations of this process are to create a University College and to restructure first year academic advising.